Description
Crow Lane or Romford Cemetery was established by the Romford Burial Board in 1871 when space ran out in the parochial cemetery. The cemetery was taken over by Romford UDC in 1900 and is now run by South Essex Crematorium. It remains partially enclosed by its C19th railings, with ragstone gate-piers and two ragstone chapels joined by a gothic porte-cochère. The cemetery contains utilitarian monuments, with older graves near the chapels, and trees include holly, cedar and flowering cherry, rows of common lime and horse chestnut.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Crow Lane Cemetery |
|---|---|
| Site location | Crow Lane/Dagenham Road, Romford |
| Postcode | RM7 0ED |
| What3Words | ///odds.wipe.indoor |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Havering |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | daily April to October 9am - 7pm; November to March 9am - 4pm |
| Public Transport | Rail: Romford. Bus: 103, 128, 174, 348, 499. |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The cemetery at Crow Lane, Rush Green was established by the Romford Burial Board in 1871 when space ran out in the parochial cemetery, which is now the site of Coronation Gardens (q.v.). Crow Lane or Romford Cemetery was taken over by Romford Urban District Council in 1900. It is partially enclosed by C19th railings with ragstone gate-piers and two ragstone chapels, a Church of England chapel and a Non-Conformist chapel joined by a gothic porte-cochère. The two chapels underwent considerable renovation and redecoration in the 1960s. There is also a Chapel of Remembrance and Books of Remembrance which each covered a period of 4 months. In 1971 the cemetery staff included a foreman, gravedigger, gardeners and assistant gardeners and a part-time pensioner watchman. The cemetery contains utilitarian monuments with mown grass and some planting, including holly, cedar and flowering cherry, and rows of common lime and horse chestnut. A number of graves around the chapel are quite old and neglected. Scrub of hazel, hawthorn, elm and cherry occurs adjacent to the allotment gardens and the field to the south.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ504877 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 9.8 |
| Site Ownership | LB Havering |
| Site Management | South Essex Crematorium |
| Dates | 1871; C20th |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Havering |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Chase Community Forest |
| Other LA Designation | Dagenham Corridor |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The small park was opened in the 1930s as Jutsums Lane Recreation Ground, later changed to Jutsums Park. Judson's Lane is an old lane running across farmland, shown on C19th maps. The Great Eastern Railway had reached Romford in 1839 and thenceforth the old market town expanded although the area to the west remained largely farmland into the 1920s. The future park's site, near Crowlands and Fiddler's Hall, is marked as a gravel pit by 1896. By 1939 the Recreation Ground is shown laid out with perimeter trees along north, south and west boundaries, bounded to the north by the railway escarpment. A children's playground is shown to the east with a drinking fountain and lavatories, and a path leads east from the entrance on Jutsom's Lane.
Cottons Park, originally called Cottons Recreational Ground, takes its name from the estate of the C16th landowner, Nicholas Cotton. The land for the park was acquired by Romford UDC from the Cottons family in 1920 and the park was laid out with planting, paths and a bandstand, beyond which to the north and west were playing fields for rugby, soccer and cricket as well as tennis courts. A children's playground and sand pit were located near the main entrance to the east. During WWII the land was given over for war-time allotments, public air-raid shelters and a decontamination centre was constructed, which was later converted into a pavilion and café. Six wooden sculptures were installed in 2009 to commemorate six civilians who lost their lives in the park during bombing in October 1940.
Central Park was laid out on a site purchased by Dagenham Borough Council in 1928, and opened in 1932; facilities included a putting green, miniature golf course, pavilion and tennis grounds. The Civic Centre opened in October 1937 with its Council Chamber overlooking the park, which since 2017 has been converted to a university run by the Coventry University Group.
Extensive plans for the park, including formal planting near the Civic Centre, were disrupted by WWII and never completed. Facilities added over the years include the Old People's Garden, a children's playground (1952), and a new Bowling Green. A Memorial Garden was opened in 2006.
Extensive plans for the park, including formal planting near the Civic Centre, were disrupted by WWII and never completed. Facilities added over the years include the Old People's Garden, a children's playground (1952), and a new Bowling Green. A Memorial Garden was opened in 2006.
